Necessary Nutrients
Because they are obligate carnivores, cats must eat exclusively animal products for nutrition. As hunters, cats evolved to eat prey that was high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbs. These broad proportions are still necessary for cats’ diets today. In addition, cats need around a dozen other nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids.
More isn’t necessarily better, even if your cat needs particular amounts of each nutrient to stay healthy. This is especially true for vitamins and minerals, so if you are providing a complete and balanced diet, you usually don’t need to utilize supplements. Your cat may be harmed by supplements, therefore you should never provide them without a veterinarian’s permission. Fresh, clean water should always be available to cats.
Types of Commercial Cat Food
Commercial cat food comes in tinned, semimoist, and dry forms. The water content, protein content, calorie density, digestibility, and palatability of these goods vary.
Dry Food
Water makes around six to ten percent of dry food. A combination of ingredients is mixed, extruded, and dried into bite-sized pieces, depending on the particular recipe. Ingredients could consist of:
1#meat and/or meat derivatives
2#poultry and/or byproducts of poultry
3#Grain and/or its derivatives
4#fish meal
5#sources of fiber
6#dairy products
7#Supplements of vitamins and minerals
To make the dry food more palatable, taste enhancers like animal fat are frequently applied to the food pieces.
In addition to being reasonably priced, dry cat food gives owners the ease of “free choice” feeding because it never dries out. However, depending on the kinds and quality of the ingredients, dry food may be less digestible and less appetizing to cats than moist or semi-moist food. When using dry food, it’s crucial to keep any leftovers in a cold, dry place and to avoid using it over its expiration date.Checking the expiration date before giving your cat dry food is crucial because owners frequently purchase big quantities that can sometimes be kept for months. Foods that are stored for an extended length of time are more likely to become rancid and many vitamins lose their strength and action. Dry cat food should be kept in an airtight container to preserve flavor and help stop nutrient breakdown.
Semi-Moist Food
The main components of semi-moist food, which has about 35% moisture, are meat and meat byproducts. To create the finished product, additional ingredients are added, such as soybean meal, cereals, grain byproducts, and preservatives. Semi-moist food is typically priced in the middle. Some cats may prefer semi-moist foods to dry cat food, and they can be given them at will. However, once the packaging is opened, the food may dry up and become rotten or less appetizing.
Canned Food
With a minimum dmoisture content of 75%, canned cat food is a good source of water for the diet. Although it is typically the priciest kind of cat food, most cats find it to be quite tasty. If your cat is a picky eater, the wide variety of options available may be useful. Unopened canned food has the greatest shelf life; nevertheless, to preserve quality and avoid spoiling, any unused portion of opened canned cat food should be kept in the refrigerator. The main ingredients of gourmet canned cat food are often meats, like kidney or liver, and byproducts of whole meats.However, some brands might not provide enough nutrition, therefore it’s crucial to carefully examine the nutrition labels on specialist cat food products to be sure they have a nutritional guarantee.
Choosing A Food Cat
In order to provide your cat with the proper ratio of calories and nutrients, commercially prepared cat meals have been designed. Manufacturers base their cat food production on the Feline Nutrition Expert (FNE) Subcommittee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which has set basic minimum nutritional criteria for cats.
The best approach to compare cat meals is to read the nutrition information on the container. Manufacturers of pet food must include specific nutritional information on the packaging. The US Food and Drug Administration and the American Food and Drug Council set labeling standards. Pet meals are deemed to be nutritionally full and balanced if they have an AAFCO-approved nutritional assurance, sometimes known as the “AAFCO statement.”
At different phases of life, a cat’s nutritional needs vary. These phases include pregnancy, lactation, adulthood, and kittenhood. The stage of a cat’s life cycle for which the food is complete and balanced, as well as whether it satisfies AAFCO standards, should be indicated in the nutritional claim on the cat food label. Owners of several cats of various ages may find it easier to choose from a variety of cat feeds that are designed for all life phases.
Reading the ingredients list is very crucial when selecting cat food. The things are listed in decreasing proportional weight order, just as human foods. A food is likely to have enough animal-source nutrients to provide critical amino acids and fatty acids if it lists meat, meat byproducts, or seafood among its first few ingredients.
Choosing amongst the several food varieties may depend on your cat’s preferences after you have established that a food is full and balanced. Some cats prefer dry food, some prefer canned food, and some like a mix of the two. Select the ones that your cat responds to the best.
Homemade Diets
It might be challenging and time-consuming to make your own cat food because the recipe could not include the proper amounts and ratios of nutrients for your feline. Unless a doctor suggests a homemade recipe for medical reasons, it is usually advised that cat owners use commercial diets that are nutritionally balanced. If so, your veterinarian will probably suggest a recipe created by animal nutrition-certified veterinarians.
Treats
Although periodically feeding your cat a treat is generally safe, they should only be given occasionally because they are typically not a balanced and nutritionally complete type of food. Treats should not account for more than 10 to 15 percent of a cat’s daily caloric intake, as a general rule. Certain meals should also be avoided entirely. Despite being a great source of numerous nutrients, raw meat is not advised for cats to eat or enjoy.because toxoplasmosis and other infectious diseases could spread through it. Some cats have developed potentially dangerous neurological abnormalities after consuming canned fish items intended for human consumption. Since many cats are lactose intolerant and may experience gastrointestinal issues if given dairy products, milk is typically not advised as a treat for cats.
Other Considerations
When it comes to where they eat, cats can be picky. Remember that a cat may be discouraged from eating by places with high traffic, noise, other animals, soiled food containers, or litter boxes close by. Try to pay attention to your cat’s eating habits and adapt as needed.
Another crucial factor to take into account is maintaining a healthy weight. The amount of food that cats require to prevent becoming overweight or underweight varies widely. The most prevalent nutrition-related issue in cats is obesity, which puts them at risk for several illnesses, such as diabetes and arthritis. Consult your veterinarian to find out your cat’s ideal body weight, then follow their recommendations for modifying your cat’s diet to help them achieve and stay at that weight (Figure 1).
While many cats are happy to eat just one food, other cats may become picky eaters and become quite particular about what they will eat. In addition to offering flavor variety, feeding your cat two or three different cat foods might help keep them from being picky about one particular food. When a cat refuses to eat, it can lead to major health issues. This applies to cats who are ill and not hungry, to cats who are on a diet, and to the picky cat who won’t eat. Any cat that is losing weight and refusing to eat should be examined by a veterinarian.
